So I've recently started aviation photography. I've bought the Sigma 150-600mm lens and my father is helping me out. He hasn't done aviation photography but he has done armature photography in the past. He insists on using a polarizing filter, but I'm wondering if that's causing more problems then solutions here. My shutter speed doesn't seem so high when comparing my exif data to others'. When I shoot at f/7.1 and an ISO of 200 on a sunny day, I still get 1/300-1/500 of a second, and I'd like to have more margin so I don't get blur. Is the polarizing filter the culprit or are these limitations to my lens?

According to a tutorial I watched recently, a polarizer works best when shooting at a 90 degree angle regarding the sun's position(?). For dynamic subjects, I wouldn't use a polarizer. For static subject, it could make for a different type of photo, but I haven't tried that myself.

But if anything, try a few photos with and a few without and compare the results.

For the Sigma with this kind of focal length you have to have a very fast shutter speed but polarizing filter cuts the light and shutter speed comes 1/300 - 1/500.I personally do not use polarizing filters for aviation photography.

Okay, thank you! Thanks to my father he cross threaded it so we'll have to find a way to remove it. But that's something I can do. Thanks for the opinion guys, maybe my photos will start seeing improvement.

Okay, thank you! Thanks to my father he cross threaded it so we'll have to find a way to remove it. But that's something I can do. Thanks for the opinion guys, maybe my photos will start seeing improvement.

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Get a lens filter wrench; they are pretty cheap, and makes life easier for removing lens filters, including ones that are stuck.

Okay, thank you! Thanks to my father he cross threaded it so we'll have to find a way to remove it. But that's something I can do. Thanks for the opinion guys, maybe my photos will start seeing improvement.

A moderator can close the thread now.

Get a lens filter wrench; they are pretty cheap, and makes life easier for removing lens filters, including ones that are stuck.

Hehe, I sent away for the right wrench two weeks ago. It's shipping all the way from Shenzen though, but it's in the USA now, shouldn't be too long. Thanks though.

You could also try using shutter priority, where you can set the shutter speed to say 1/800 of a second. Then the camera will set the f-stop. I tend to use shutter priority on a sunny day with iso at either 100 or 200. As to filters either a sky light or a ultra violet will do to help protect the lens glass, it is much easier and cheaper to replace the filter than to replace the lens.